Chapter 7 Her Revenge

Norene's face betrayed her as she realized she had revealed too much, her face twisting into an awkward grimace.

She had once stumbled upon Lorenzo's phone, seen messages from Gracie that weren't meant for her eyes, and erased them along with their call history.

The thought crossed her mind that if Lorenzo ever discovered her actions, he might despise her forever.

"I acted without thinking just now. If Lorenzo ever finds out, he might not forgive me. Please, keep this between us for now."

It became clear from Norene's plea that Lorenzo was still unaware of the truth.

Gracie gave a self-mocking smile, which made Norene feel inexplicably uneasy.

Kelsey noticed Norene's discomfort and frowned protectively. She was also aware of the whole story about Gavin Bailey's heart transplant.

"That heart was meant for Gavin, arranged by Mr. Hughes himself. Since when was it supposed to go to your daughter?" Kelsey paused, her voice filled with irritation, adding, "And just look at you. Using your child as leverage? She got what she deserved."

Gracie responded to Kelsey's cruel words with a sharp slap across her face.

Her daughter was her deepest sore point.

"Say one more word, and I'll make sure you never speak again."

Kelsey's arrogance was washed away with the impact of the slap.

Norene stepped in, saying, "Gracie, if you're upset, direct it at me. Don't take it out on others."

Gracie was not about to let Norene off the hook either. "That's an interesting request. But if that's what you want, I'll do it."

Before Norene could reply, she felt a sharp slap across her face. "Gracie, you..."

"You were asking for it, right? Or did I get that wrong?" Gracie pretended to be surprised, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

Norene, overwhelmed with anger, pointed at Gracie, speechless.

It was the second time Gracie had slapped her.

As Gracie moved closer, out of nowhere, a little boy rushed in and shoved her, throwing her off balance. "Witch, stop hurting my mommy!" He stumbled and nearly fell onto a dangerously placed blade on the counter.

Reacting quickly, Gracie shoved him away, lost her footing, and stumbled toward the counter.

At that crucial moment, a strong, warm grip steadied her by the waist.

Regaining her composure, Gracie looked up, her heart still pounding, at the person who had saved her.

The man's appearance was striking, with deep, mesmerizing eyes and lips slightly pursed in a detached manner.

Waylon?

At that moment, Norene hurried over to her son, assisting him to his feet while showing clear concern. "Gavin, are you alright? Let me check."

"It hurts, Mommy," Gavin said, tears streaming down his face, which deeply saddened Norene.

Meanwhile, Waylon pulled his hand away with a cool detachment. Just as Gracie was about to express her gratitude, Kelsey burst out, "You monster! How dare you touch a child?"

Before Gracie could respond, Norene lost her composure, demanding, "Gracie, you did that on purpose! You want to kill my son, don't you?"

Just as Gracie was about to answer, Lorenzo stepped into the entrance of the boutique.

"Gavin." Lorenzo rushed over with a worried look, embracing the tearful Gavin to offer comfort.

"Lorenzo," Norene said, her voice filled with grievance.

Kelsey, eager to complain, said, "Mr. Hughes, you're finally here. This bitch not only threatened us but also slapped both me and Norene. Gavin barely touched her, and she shoved him to the floor."

Upon hearing this, Lorenzo turned to Gracie, his face turning stern. "Gracie, since when have you become so cruel? He's only a child."

"Cruel?" Gracie let out a scornful laugh. Despite loving Lorenzo for six years, in his eyes, she was now capable of harming a child.

From behind Gracie, Waylon looked up sharply, fixing Lorenzo with a contemptuous stare before disdainfully muttering, "Idiot."

Only then did Lorenzo notice the man in a suit behind Gracie.

"So, Gracie, this is why you left me? Because of him?" Lorenzo pointed accusingly at Waylon, his voice tinged with betrayal.

Seeing Lorenzo so shaken, as if he felt betrayed, Gracie found that the anger inside her subsided, and then... Seizing the moment when Waylon was distracted, Gracie kissed him in front of everyone.